Com TruiseIteration

Although Seth Haley (aka Com Truise) hasn't released a proper full-length in six years, the synth master hasn't quite been dormant, releasing two well-received mini-LPs alongside a slew of remixes. But on his sophomore LP, Iteration, the Californian has demonstrated growth that only a musician with a decade of experience can accomplish.

Though Haley's music still acts as a neon conduit to the '80s synth-wave scene, Iteration is chockfull of well-arranged and well-sequenced numbers. The personal touch that pervaded Haley's 2014 mini-LP Wave 1 continues here; you can feel the energy behind his synth playing on the jittery "Memory," the sweeping "Vacuume" and the beat-driven "When Will You Find the Limit…"

Haley has proven that he's capable at pulling together otherworldly rhythms, but there's sometimes not enough musical variety represented over these 12 tracks, and much of the album sort of runs at the same tempo without leaving its electro box. But for fans of synth-wave instrumentals or for those who want an oft-compelling, free-floating soundtrack to their workday, nobody throws a throwback party like Com Truise.
(Ghostly International)